The Paradigm
by The Story Of Your Life
Summary: Ten years ago a small boy left the island of Berk. Ten years, the population of Berk has slowly begun to dwindle. Now, only a few Vikings dare stay due to the constant dragon raids. But what happens when that said boy returns? Berk's future is about to be changed, and maybe for the better... Rated T for safety. Hiccstrid.
1. Leaving

**Chapter One**

"You've got plenty of marks…. All in the wrong places."

"Week…."

"Useless!"

"Pathetic excuse for a Viking."

The words stung as Hiccup readied Toothless' saddle. For days he had been contemplating on his decision to leave. He had never given it much thought until he found Toothless. Everything changed on that day. And now he had a chance to prove to his people that they were wrong.

But he knew that they would never accept Toothless, or his theory on dragons.

The people of Berk hated change. He knew from experience that they would never listen to someone like him. Maybe if Astrid or Fishlegs believed him, than they could stand up for him. But they were part of the constant taunting he received.

"No one just gets as good as you. Especially you."

Her words were still fresh on his memory. Hiccup shook his head and adjusted the saddle before handing Toothless a fish.

Toothless seemed to have an endless amount of patience, to which he envied. The Night Fury warbled in confusion when Hiccup put in a week's worth of fish in a basket. It wouldn't last that long, but he knew they would need it for their journey.

"We're leaving, bud," he told his dragon. "Might as well make sure we're prepared."

Toothless crooned softly as he grabbed a basket of food and a satchel of water. For now they were prepared. Suddenly Toothless decided to lick his face before running over to the basket of food.

"Ugh, Toothless, that's disgusting!" he groaned while trying to wipe of the dragon saliva.

Once they were finished getting ready, Toothless took off and left Berk behind quickly. Hiccup glanced over his shoulder warily one last time, having remembered that he left his helmet behind. The very one that Stoick had given him two days ago.

His father would never understand why he left. He left a small note under his helmet in the hopes that someone might discover it. But he doubted anyone would bother looking.

No one had ever followed him to the cove where he kept Toothless. He'd made sure of that. He couldn't imagine what Stoick and the others would do to his dragon. To him Toothless was now part of his family.

There wasn't any moon tonight, and Hiccup had used that to his advantage. He wasn't sure where they would go, or how long their journey would last. But he did know that no one would let him leave if they saw Toothless.

Up here Hiccup had never felt more alive. Flying had given him a rush that he never expected. No one would ever understand what it was like to gain a dragon's trust. Or better yet, to stop the raids that constantly haunted the island.

Maybe someday…. Yeah, someday Berk would understand. But by than it would be too late.

...

Astrid was the first to discover Hiccup's disappearance. She had tried following him in the woods late in the afternoon when she lost track of him. At last she had found his footprints again, but by the time she did, it was too late.

She searched around the cove for clues leading to the odd set of tracks. One of them belonged to a young boy, and she assumed that was Hiccup. But the other was even odder. It looked like an impression left by something large and lizard-like. Almost like that of a _dragon_.

With that thought she shook her head, trying to push it aside angrily. Hiccup and dragons…. She had known that something was off about him. He seemed to gain more knowledge on them by the day. And than he had won the right to kill a dragon.

Sudden anger washed over Astrid the more she thought about it. How _dare_ he take away her right? How _dare_ that annoyance of a hiccup take away her only chance to prove herself? Astrid scowled in disgust as she started walking away.

But then she noticed something at the edge of her sight. Quickly she reached for her double-bladed axe, ready to defend herself. But what she saw caught her off guard. Carefully she put the axe back in place before reaching out for the object. Her eyes narrowed in confusion when she looked at it.

A helmet. And now just any helmet. It was Hiccup's helmet. But that wasn't what had really surprised her. It was what had been placed underneath. Astrid squinted as she tried to read the shaky handwriting.

'_Dear dad,_

_By now you probably know that I'm gone. I know that I was supposed to kill that dragon. But I can't. You don't know what I saw, and you'll never understand. I just hope that one day you can find it in your heart to forgive me for leaving. Berk probably won't even miss me._

_-Hiccup Horrendous Haddock III_'

Astrid stared at the letter in disbelief.

"Leave, why would he…. Why would he leave?" she nearly shouted.

She quickly clamped her mouth shut and read over the letter again. Hiccup's father, he would be furious if he read this. Astrid held back a sigh as she leaned against a rock. If she gave this to Stoick than he would send search parties to look for his son. The only Heir to Berk.

"No one would miss me," she whispered to herself. _No one would miss me_.

Had she really been that blind? She remembered what she had said to Hiccup. How angry she had been with him, just because he was better. Her competitive spirit had gotten the better of her, again.

Hiccup was gone. For days the village searched for him, and Astrid had hidden that letter. She couldn't bring herself to show it to Stoick. Not without telling him why Hiccup had left. She felt responsible for it. And she could never forgive herself for it.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: So this is the start of a new story. Basically, it's another 'What if Hiccup left' theory. I kind of liked the idea and wanted to make one of my own. And the title of the story is based off of a song by Capital Kings, and actually has a meaning, if you catch my drift ;)<strong>


	2. A Long Journey

**Chapter Two**

Toothless had flown for several days across open ocean. Hiccup had kept track of the stars and was pretty sure they were headed southwest. But by the time they reached a small island, Toothless was exhausted and needed rest.

They landed on a small patch of grass, and Toothless sighed in relief. Hiccup hopped off his saddle, having not realized how stiff his legs were. He hadn't flown that long without any breaks, and neither had Toothless. Fortunately the Night Fury was fine, and grabbed a mouthful of fish from the basket woven to his saddle. Hiccup himself had grabbed a couple pieces of bread and allowed Toothless to burn it a little before eating.

Now that they were relaxing, Hiccup realized just how far they had gone. It was at least a four day flight back to Berk. Toothless' journey had left him feeling an exhausted, and Hiccup suddenly felt sorry that he had pushed his dragon so far.

"Sorry bud," he murmured while rubbing Toothless' chin. The Night Fury warbled in response before curling up beside him. For now they would rest until morning. Toothless would need it in order for their journey to continue.

...

"Are you sure that he's gone?" Stoick's question had left a burning curiosity for everyone.

He had sent search parties throughout the island, and had even sent a small one to Outcast island. If Alvin the Treacherous had taken his son, Stoick would personally cut his head off. But everyone had returned empty-handed.

"Aye, Stoick," Gobber told him reluctantly. "No sign of any footprints or anything. It's like he just… vanished."

Guilt stabbed at Stoick's heart. For a moment he wondered if Hiccup had left because of the pressure he was under. Then another, more horrifying though rushed through him.

"Gobber, is it possible that he's… that he's…." Stoick couldn't bring himself to finish that sentence.

Now, he may seem hard and cruel towards Hiccup. But deep down he truly cared for his son. After all, Hiccup was the only reminder he had left of his wife, Valka. And now Hiccup was gone as well. Stoick couldn't help but wonder if a dragon had taken him.

Astrid had said that she found a set of dragon prints with Hiccup's. Stoick made sure that people kept an eye out for dragons. And had even made sure that Gobber kept an eye on Hiccup. But it seemed as though the boy had slipped away without notice.

"We'll keep looking," Gobber reassured him. But even he could hear the doubt in his voice. Gobber couldn't bring himself to admit that Hiccup might be gone, for good. This would be the downfall of Berk. Even Stoick was smart enough to see it happening.

...

"So, think there might be any Timberjacks up there?" Hiccup asked while Toothless was in flight, again.

They'd been at this for days now. There was nothing but the sky and open ocean again. Fortunately Toothless' wings were stronger than Hiccup realized. He was able to fly faster and farther than anyone thought possible.

At last Toothless had flown so far that they were out of the northern sea. It took Hiccup a few minutes to realize that they were somewhere in the far south. The air had gotten a bit warmer, and the ocean was bluer. Hiccup leaned over the saddle slightly to see larger islands jutting out of the ocean.

What he saw made his eyes widen in disbelief. Dragons were flying around the islands in a careless way. As if they weren't constantly under siege by humans. Hiccup then noticed something that made his mouth gape open.

Toothless had to stop in his tracks when he saw the creature first. It looked just like a…. _Night Fury_. Hiccup stared at the creature in shock, unable to comprehend words as it stared at them both. But he was even more startled by what was on top of the Night Fury.

A girl stood on top. She was actually _standing_. And she had no saddle. Now that took guts. Hiccup swallowed as he remembered the first time he had ridden Toothless bareback. His legs had been sore for days afterwords. Gobber had never bothered asking what happened when he could barely stand. No one had ever cared whether or not he was in pain.

But going back to the girl…. She was different from anyone Hiccup had ever seen. She wore a mask to cover her face, and her hair was pulled back. But enough of it whipped around her face to make her look like a warrior. Hiccup noticed with realization that her skin was darker in appearance than his own.

Suddenly the girl unsheathed a sword and pointed it at Hiccup. He stared at her in alarm when the Night Fury she was riding fired a plasma blast. Toothless took the moment to dive down and avoid getting hit, but had lost Hiccup in the process.

Toothless let out a cry of shock when his tail suddenly folded. Without a rider it was impossible for him to fly.

"Toothless!" Hiccup cried as he tried reaching his Night Fury. But the girl had already flown her Night Fury towards Toothless, catching him with ease. Hiccup was left flailing his arms in the air while his dragon was taken away. "Wait, don't!"

One moment Hiccup was falling through the air, and the next, he wasn't. His heart nearly gave out when he felt a pair of talons wrap around his arms. He looked up in time to see a Monstrous Nightmare carrying him towards the island down below.

"Where are you taking me?" Hiccup demanded as the Monstrous Nightmare flew on. They flew lower to the ground, to a point at which Hiccup was afraid his feet would drag against it. Luckily the Nightmare flew just high enough that they didn't. "Can you please let me go?"

The Monstrous Nightmare only growled in response. Hiccup held back a groan of annoyance as when he realized it wouldn't listen. It looked as though his journey had suddenly been cut short.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: Wow, 13 follows already? You guys are awesome! And this story will probably be mostly in Hiccup's POV. But I will be alternating every few chapters to Astrid's POV just to keep readers posted on what's happening in Berk.<strong>

**Sil - Thank you!**

**dragologistmaster - Thank you! I'm glad you're enjoying it so far. :D**


	3. The City Of Light

**Chapter Three**

By the time the Monstrous Nightmare had dropped him, Hiccup's arms were throbbing in pain. Finally though it dropped him in the middle of a clearing. For what felt like hours they had been flying through a large forest, with huge towering trees surrounding them.

Hiccup rolled to the ground with a groan, fighting the urge to yell at the bigger dragon. He knew the Monstrous Nightmare wouldn't purposely hurt him. But what surprised him was that the Nightmare crooned softly and nudged him. Like it was already trained.

"Glad to see you're awake, mate." Hiccup stood up a little straighter at the strange famine accent. "Thought for sure that Braunch might've eaten you."

"Braunch?" Hiccup repeated the strange name and looked at the Monstrous Nightmare in surprise. It had red scales that mixed with purple, and dark yellow eyes that looked down at him curiously.

"So, I take it yer the one Zinnea was talkin' about?" the girl continued speaking with her odd accent. It sounded Irish, but he couldn't be sure. "Boy, she wasn't kiddin' when she said yer scrawny." Hiccup flinched when she suddenly poked him with a stick.

"Stop that!" he snapped. Then he noticed the girl for the first time. She appeared to be a few years older than him, with wavy red hair and bright green eyes. Hiccup was taken aback by her appearance and crawled back a little, only to bump into Braunch. "Who… are you?" he finally asked.

The girl only laughed and offered him a hand. Hiccup eyed her warily before letting her help him up. "Call me Lenay," she replied. "Zinnea is my sister. A bit of a spoiled brat if ya ask me, but she's good enough," she scoffed. For a moment Hiccup was taken aback by her explanation. Lenay suddenly hopped onto Braunch's back and gestured for him to follow. "Come along, I'll find ya yer dragon." For a moment, Hiccup hesitated. But then Lenay grabbed his wrist and pried him up on the saddled Braunch. "Don't worry, I don't fly bareback, unlike my sister," she added with a roll of her eyes.

With that being said, Braunch took off and flew through the large forest. Every now and than Hiccup could hear loud hooting and chirping noises, and held on to Lenay out of worry more than anything else. Lenay only laughed when she noticed how terrified he looked.

"What is that?" he asked when he saw something moving across the trees. They were jumping from branch to branch on nimble looking feet. Lenay had seen these creatures many times, and gotten used to them.

"They're called monkeys," she explained. "They don't bother us too often; they're more curious than anythin' else."

That only made Hiccup more curious. What were monkeys? And why were they here? He'd noticed that the air had an almost tropical feel to it. That might explain why the trees were so tall. Lenay remained oddly silent as she flew Braunch towards a mountain covered in trees.

Hiccup gaped at the sight when he saw a waterfall thundering down into a vast river. Flowers of all sorts grew around it, struggling to reach the faint sunlight. Hiccup was too distracted by the flowers to notice that Braunch was flying right towards the waterfall. Until he could hear how loud it was.

"Look out!" he cried and braced himself. Lenay only laughed again as Braunch suddenly folded his wings and flew right into the waterfall. Hiccup was expecting them to crash into the rocky side of a mountain. But instead they had flown into a cave. "Whoa…." he breathed out as he took in the sight.

Tall spirals reached out towards the ceiling. What he saw on the ceiling took him by surprise. It looked like there was a small light dangling from the ceiling. And on the ground were more of those strange lights.

"My people built these lights to guide the way," Lenay explained when she noticed Hiccup's awed expression. "Ya can explore them later, but for now, we need to get ya to the city."

Hiccup nodded in agreement as Lenay flew Braunch lower to the ground. He could see a bright light illuminating the cave up ahead. By the time they reached the light he had to close his eyes in order to avoid getting blinded. What he saw next made his eyes widened farther than he thought possible.

A city. A city full of people who thrived in what looked like a crater. Hiccup could see the mountain's peeks surrounding the city itself, creating a fortress. There were buildings carved into the stone itself, some old, and some new. In the center of the city was the biggest building Hiccup had ever seen, making the Great Hall look tiny in comparison.

"Well, what do ya think?" Lenay asked when Braunch had finally landed. She was looking at Hiccup expectantly. He was still trying to take in every sight he could when he realized she had asked him something.

"Uh, it's incredible!" he admitted. Lenay smiled happily before clasping her hands.

"Welcome to Cathair Solais, the City of Light," she said with the slightest bows. "Come on, there's someone you have to meet!" she suddenly exclaimed, grabbing Hiccup by the hand once again. They both jumped off of Braunch and watched as he took off again, flying towards what looked like another cave.

"Are those…." Hiccup squinted his eyes when he saw what they could be.

"Dragon stables," Lenay told him. "Our people tend to fly our dragons as often as we can. It's a tradition we've held for centuries."

Lenay continued leading him throughout the many buildings that occupied the city. Already Hiccup had seen several dragons flying around the city. Some had people on their backs, and others simply flew for the joy of it. He had never seen anything like this.

She made climbing the stone stairs that led upwards easy. Hiccup was out of breath by the time they reached the top. Then he noticed how steep they were. This was nothing like Berk. One step and he would already be at the forge, or at the dragon training arena.

"Yer a bit out of shape, aren't ya?" she laughed when she noticed that he was gasping for breath.

"Hey, I'm just not used to running this much," he defended himself. Lenay just placed a hand on his shoulder and smiled.

"Don't worry too much about it," she told him. "By the time we're finished with ya, you'll be fitter than Braunch."

Hiccup couldn't help but grin at the thought. He suddenly imagined how much stronger he would be than Snotlout. The older boy had often bullied him when he was back on Berk. To the point where Hiccup would return home with more than just bruises. His dad had never asked where they came from. He would only take him to the healers and ask them to be tended to, and return to his duties as Chief.

"Hello? Ya still there?" Hiccup jumped at the sound of Lenay's voice. He looked at her in surprise before nodding. "Good, it's this way!"

Slowly but surely, they made their way up towards the largest building on this level of stone. Hiccup glanced around anxiously as Lenay knocked on the door. A shout soon followed in a foreign language, and the door swung open.

"Zinnea, I believe ya have something of his," Lenay said in an accusing tone. The girl stared at Lenay through narrowed eyes before opening the door wider. She glared at Hiccup coldly as he followed Lenay reluctantly. "Ya know, I never did get yer name," Lenay suddenly added when she turned to face him.

"Uh, Hiccup," he replied hesitantly. "It's Hiccup." Zinnea's eyes widened as if she was going to laugh, than got jabbed in the stomach by Lenay's elbow.

"Hiccup, well, it's nice to meet ya," Lenay told him. "Now, let me just speak with my sister first." Hiccup tilted his head in confusion as she turned and spoke in that same foreign language. A few minutes passed and it sounded like they were arguing. Finally Zinnea sighed in frustration before muttering something under her breath. "I'm sorry about that," Lenay murmured. "Zinnea only speaks our native tongue. I've been tryin' to teach her different languages, but she isn't the most patient girl."

Hiccup nodded in understanding as Zinnea ran through what looked like a back door. A few minutes passed, and he was given a chance to take in his surroundings.

They were standing in a large room. Hiccup looked over to see what looked like a small kitchen, and a fireplace towards the right. A table seating four was placed in the center of the room, along with a stone slab. He glanced towards the left and saw more stone stairs leading to what he guessed were their bedrooms.

Finally Zinnea had returned after a moment of awkward silence followed. Hiccup's eyes widened in relief when he saw Toothless standing behind her. The Night Fury's eyes widened in happiness when he spotted him. Without warning he barged past an annoyed Zinnea and nearly tackled Hiccup.

"Easy, bud!" Hiccup laughed as Toothless smothered his face in licks. Both Zinnea and Lenay watched in amazement as Toothless backed up, crooning in happiness. "I'm glad to see you too."

"Well, looks like Zinnea was wrong," Lenay laughed once again and looked at her sister again. She spoke in that same language, making Zinnea sigh in annoyance and roll her eyes. "Alright, now that ya were reunited, how 'bout some lunch?"

Hiccup was ready to say no when his stomach rumbled. He hadn't realized until now that he hadn't eaten days. Toothless warbled in concern while Lenay and Zinnea laughed again.

"Come along," Lenay told him as she followed Zinnea out the back door.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: So there's the next chapter. It may start off a little slow, just a warning :) But things will begin to pick up in the next few chapters. And wow, over twenty follows already! Thanks for all the support guys! Also, the names and accents might be a bit different compared to what readers are used to. I've been doing a bit of research on the names, so I apologize if they seem a bit off :**

**Guest - Okay...**

**Sil - Thank you! And nope, he isn't Hookfang :P He's someone much different.**

**Reader103 - Okay...**

**Flame - Yeah, kind of ^^**

**dragologistmaster - Yep, unfortunately trouble always seems to come looking for them at the worst time :P**


	4. New Friends

**Chapter Four**

Lenay led Hiccup towards what she had called the lunch hall. It was where people gathered for celebrations or large parties. Hiccup was fascinated with the way it looked. The lunch hall was near the center of the city, and had marble pillars holding up the ceiling. Out front there were four large pillars with a statue that looked like it was holding up the front roof.

"Okay everyone, please don't crowd him!" Lenay shouted in both his language and that same foreign tongue. The people in the lunch hall stared at the three of them in surprise before noticing Hiccup for the first time.

He noticed that compared to them his clothing was so different. They were lighter clothing to accommodate the warmer weather. And most of the people all had the same skin tone as Lenay and Zinnea. What bothered him the most was that they were all staring.

"Welcome." A few people here already spoke his language, much to his surprise. Then he remembered what Lenay had said and smiled back, shaking their hands in greeting. These people were surprisingly friendly.

Lenay led him to an open spot on one of the tables. To his surprise these tables were set up similarly to the ones at the Great Hall, with long benches that stretched on either side. It was a great way to share conversation with the person beside you, if you got along with them.

"So, what island are you from?" A young man who looked to be Lenay's age was seated across from them, and sitting between him was one other man who looked sixteen, and a young girl who looked to be Zinnea's age.

"Berk," Hiccup replied. The three of them stared at him in disbelief.

"Hiccup, this is Alec," Lenay introduced the young man. Alec grinned in response before leaning back a little. "And this is Kadir." She pointed towards the older gentlemen who didn't look entirely interested in their conversation. "He's Alec's brother. And this is Galia."

"Uh, nice to meet you," Hiccup said with a sheepish smile. He was a bit overwhelmed with all of these introductions. But it was nice to meet new people, especially if they were nothing like Snotlout. And surprisingly enough they all spoke his language.

"I was the last to learn Norse," Galia explained when she noticed his confused look. "Zinnea has yet to learn it though." She stuck out a tongue at Zinnea, who only scowled back. "I'm telling you, it's one of the easier languages to learn," she added.

"Wait, there are others?" Hiccup suddenly asked.

"Well, duh," Alec replied with a shrug. "Let's see…. There's Celtic, Norse, Latin and a few others I'm too lazy to add."

Now that sounded a bit too much for even Hiccup to learn. Lenay only laughed at the face he made.

"Oh, it's not that bad," she reassured him. "Once you learn Latin the other languages aren't so difficult to learn."

"Now wait a minute, who said I was going to learn them?" Hiccup asked warily. Who said he was going to stay here? Sure this island had been pretty amazing so far, but he still had so much to see and explore.

"Getting home sick, are we?" For the first time Kadir spoke, and Hiccup was taken aback by the deep tone in his voice. The others looked at him expectantly and he shrugged.

"No, I just…." Hiccup sighed when he couldn't find the right words. If he went back to Berk now, his father would likely banish him for betrayal. He wasn't in any hurry to go back. Lenay suddenly looked at him sympathetically.

"Hey, it's okay," she reassured him. "Honestly, I'm surprised you've stayed as long as ya have. But, where would ya go? There aren't many friendly islanders with dragons out there ya know." Her words struck Hiccup with a sudden realization.

She was right. There weren't many islands like this, at least not that he knew of. And he had a feeling that there wouldn't be many islands that were so welcoming. He couldn't push Toothless so hard either. Not after the way Zinnea had attacked them.

"Look, maybe I should show you something after lunch," Lenay went on after noticing his conflicted look.

Hiccup nodded in agreement while the others began bombarding him with questions. Like where he had found Toothless, and what life was like on Berk. Hiccup had pretty much told them everything he could, leaving out the part where he was responsible for Toothless losing his tail.

"Well, looks like Zinnea isn't the only rider who's friends with a Night Fury now," Alec said with a sheepish grin. Again Zinnea glared at them in response, and muttered something in her native tongue. "Ah come on, don't be a sore loser!" Alec laughed until he noticed that Zinnea was getting up. "Zin, wait!"

"It's okay," Lenay told the younger boy. "She's just having a bad day…." Lenay bit the bottom of her lip before glancing back at Hiccup. "Do you mind if I talk to her? Alec can show you what I was trying to earlier."

Again Hiccup nodded as Lenay stood up and followed her sister. And that's where Hiccup was left with the other three friends. Things got awkward a bit too quickly for his liking.

...

"Well, this is it," Alec said when they finally reached the area. By now Hiccup was gasping for breath again, and stared wide-eyed at what Alec had led him to.

It was a clearing far away from the island, with dragons circling it. But that wasn't the most surprising part. Men and women were working in the clearing, caring for precious objects that were hidden under moss and surrounded by rocks.

"Eggs?" Hiccup asked in disbelief. "You care for… _dragon_ eggs?"

"Well, yeah," Alec replied with a shrug. "Where else do you think we'd get them? We can't just steal them, that would be wrong. Plus it's easier to bond kids with baby dragons while they're young."

"I guess that makes sense," Hiccup muttered. He hadn't realized until now that Toothless had flown down to join them. Toothless warbled and nudged his arm playfully, and Hiccup scratched his chin in response.

"So, what do you think?" Alec asked as they continued exploring the city. Everywhere Hiccup could see dragons flying around. He spotted one girl playing with a Deadly Nadder, giggling as the Nadder squawked and twirled around it's tail. "Here the dragons are taken care of and protected. Can't imagine my life without them."

"That's… really amazing." That was all Hiccup could say. He was at a loss for words when he saw a baby Night Fury crawling around one of the eggs. Toothless' eyes widened with glee as he tried running after the baby. Hiccup held him back though; he was afraid Toothless might hurt the other eggs. "Sorry bud," he murmured sympathetically. "Wait, so do you raise Night Furies here?" Alec nodded and glanced at a group of younger looking Night Furies.

"They're paired with riders at a young age," he explained. "Night Furies are a bit different from the other dragons around here. Once they bond with a human, there's no separated them."

Hiccup was ready to say that was amazing again when he thought better of it. Knowing that there were more Night Furies almost made him tear up a bit. Everyone had thought they were almost extinct. And now there was an island trying to preserve the species.

"What about Zinnea and her Night Fury? What makes them so different from the rest?" Hiccup suddenly asked as Alec took him to another nest. This time there were different baby dragons, consisting of Deadly Nadders and Monstrous Nightmares. Hiccup couldn't help but laugh when a Nadder started playing tug-of-war with a Nightmare. It was obvious who the stronger of the species were.

"Zinnea wasn't paired with Shadow," Alec explained. "She actually found Shadow on the beach one day a few years ago, and nursed her back to health. The two have been best friends ever since, almost like siblings."

Toothless warbled as a Night Fury suddenly landed nearby. Hiccup didn't miss the fact that Zinnea was riding that said Night Fury. Shadow, as Alec had called her, crooned when she spotted Toothless. Zinnea gave Shadow one look before hopping off and letting them greet each other.

"Looks like your friend might have a new admirer," Hiccup laughed when the two started chasing each other. Alec smiled at the sight and waved at Zinnea, but she said nothing. Instead, she walked away and headed for the Night Fury nest. "Why doesn't she say anything?" Hiccup knew that she didn't speak his language. But he'd noticed the way she acted around the others. She seemed edgy, as if there was something going on between them.

"Not sure," Alec replied with a shrug. "She's always been like that though. Cold to humans, and friendly as a bee to the dragons." Hiccup looked at Alec in confusion, wondering where that strange expression had come from.

Something told Hiccup that there was more to her story than Alec was letting on. But he didn't seem to want to share that story right now. Instead Alec continued showing Hiccup around until it was late in the evening. That was when Hiccup had noticed the moon shining through the hole in the crater. Hiccup stared at the sight in amazement, noticing how the light of the moon turned the entire city a bright silvery white. Now he understood why it was called the City of Light.

Finally Lenay had joined them with Braunch by her side. Toothless had wandered after them while Alec told him where everything was. So far Hiccup's mind was spinning with all of this new information. Lenay laughed when she saw the look in Hiccup's eyes. He looked absolutely exhausted.

"There's a place for visitors to rest," she gestured towards a smaller building that looked two stories high. Again it was built into the stone and looked like it blended in. "Gracie will be more than happy to take care of you two."

Hiccup gave her a thankful look before heading over to the large building. The door was big enough for Toothless to fit in. To his surprise an elderly looking woman greeted him warmly.

"Lenay told me that you would be coming for a night's rest," she said before gesturing towards the stairs. "There's an empty room on your first right, and it's big enough for your Night Fury friend." Hiccup thanked her shortly after and headed up the stores, with Toothless following close behind, but not before the Night Fury nudged her thankfully.

"Well, it's not much, but it's better than nothing," Hiccup sighed when they reached the room.

Honestly it was all a bit overwhelming. The fact that these people had welcomed him with open arms made him a bit wary. But he was too exhausted to think anything of it at the time. Instead he jumped onto the bed and sighed in relief as Toothless curled up nearby.

"So, what do you say bud? Should we stay?" Hiccup looked over to see that Toothless was already fast asleep. "I guess we'll just sleep over it," he decided after having already made up his mind.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: So the first few chapters might go a bit slowly; just until everything is fully established and explained. After that I might skip a few years and see where it goes from there. And Winterjam was absolutely amazing! I got plenty of pics and photos of all the great groups that were there, along with Skillet, for KING and COUNTRY, Family Force 5 and a few others! :D<strong>

**Guest - I may take short breaks once in a while. It depends on how my crazy schedule is ;)**

**dracologistmaster - Haha, just you wait :P I've got big plans for her and the rest of the gang!**

**Roxygirl - XD Was I hiding from you? :P Maybe! And trust me, you're not the only one. For some reason I prefer the main character getting paired with an OC or someone else too /:**

**killerbull27 - Well, as I explained I can't really do that without skipping over some important details. I will try and avoid keeping it from getting boring, but unfortunately I can't make any promises /:**

**69759 - lol, that's good to hear! And don't try and stress yourself out over a new chapter. Just take your time and write down what you can, than come back at a later time when you find motivation :)**


	5. The Decision To Stay

**Chapter Five**

It was early the next morning when a knock sounded on Hiccup's door. He groaned and rolled over on his bed, nearly falling on the floor in the process. Toothless looked up curiously when he noticed how disheveled his rider looked. Hiccup tried to regain his composure while telling whoever knocked to come in.

"Hey, thought ya could use some breakfast." Lenay. She was standing in the doorway with a plate full of food. Hiccup eyed the food warily before realizing how good it smelled. "Also, I was told to bring ya to the lunch hall," she added after handing him the plate.

Hiccup eyed her warily, wondering if the people had suddenly decided that he was some kind of threat to them. It was possible, given the fact that he had Toothless with him. But Lenay only smiled sheepishly as she led him down the stairs once he was finished.

Sure enough when they reached the lunch hall, there were hundreds of people. Actually, Hiccup was pretty sure that it was _thousands_ of people. Berk had never held this many people, and it was all a bit overwhelming for him.

"It's okay," Lenay reassured him when she noticed how nervous he looked. "We're aren't here to banish ya, if that's what yer wonderin'." Hiccup glanced at her warily before nodding once again. He was too struck by anxiety to speak.

Hiccup sat between Lenay and Alec as a group of elderly men and women whispered among themselves. He was wary of them as well. They didn't seem like a threat, but there was something about them that made them look powerful.

"Rise, stranger from the north," one of the elders suddenly spoke after the crowd went silent. Hiccup glanced at Lenay and the others uncertainly before doing as he was told. "Lenay has spoken highly of you, Dragon Rider. You should know that we do not normally allow intruders to live." A man with a long gray beard and bald head spoke first, his accent strangely similar to Lenay's.

"That's my grandfather," Lenay whispered as if she had read his thoughts. Hiccup looked at her in surprise before looking back at the elders. They were seated at the farthest end of the lunch hall, and they all sat together at one table.

"Be that as it may, young Rider," an elderly woman continued, "we have yet to decide whether or not it is safe to keep you here." A few of the people sitting around them had begun muttering to themselves. Hiccup looked around anxiously, suddenly deciding whether or not it was a good idea to stay. Maybe he should have left in the middle of the night.

"I say he stays!" Lenay suddenly yelled.

"I second her vote," Alec piped up. Soon the other teens were agreeing with them, except for Zinnea. She remained oddly quiet throughout the entire meeting. Hiccup noticed for a moment that she was staring off into the distance, as if this whole meeting was boring to her.

"He already has a dragon," Lenay continued when the elders began arguing amongst themselves in their own language. "He could train with us, and we could teach him everything he needs to know."

_Wait a minute, train with them_? Hiccup's eyes widened at the thought. He never imagined that day would ever come. When he could train _with_ dragons instead of against them. Yet here was Lenay, offering him a chance that he couldn't refuse.

"Lenay, you of all people should know how long it takes to train a dragon," her grandfather told her. "This young lad does not seem fit to be a Dragon Rider." Hiccup rolled his eyes almost at once, and Lenay sighed in frustration.

"And yet ya let Zinnea ride bareback," she muttered under her breath. "Just give him a chance. I'm sure he'll be fine."

Again the lunch hall was deathly silent. Hiccup found that everyone was either staring at him or Lenay in disbelief. Again Lenay's grandfather sighed and leaned against the back of his chair. Unlike the other people, the elders had actual chairs to sit on.

"Let us speak alone," her grandfather spoke, addressing to everyone. Hiccup stiffened as everyone started clearing out of the room. Except for the teens. They were the only ones who seemed to stand up for him aside from Zinnea.

Now that there were fewer people in the building, Hiccup could actually see just how big it really was. He looked around in amazement once more before Lenay suddenly pushed him forward. Now they were only a few inches away from the elders' table. Hiccup swallowed uncomfortably when he noticed that they were all staring.

"Please, why do you not tell us where you are from, and how you managed to reach this island," the elderly woman said while giving Lenay a warning look. She clamped her mouth shut and folded her arms, glaring in annoyance.

Hiccup glanced between the two and finally gave in. First he told them where he was from. A few of the elders seemed to recognize the name and whispered among themselves once more. After that Hiccup had told them about what life was like on Berk, and how he was treated. Soon after that he explained how he was chosen to kill a dragon, and just couldn't bring himself to do it. By now everyone was drawn in on his story, even Zinnea.

"It is astounding that you have made it this far, without your Night Fury collapsing," Lenay's grandfather spoke up again. "Do you not realize how dangerous such a journey could have been? Night Furies were not meant to travel so far."

Guilt suddenly stabbed at Hiccup's heart when he heard that. He had put Toothless' life in danger. Because of his selfish motives, Toothless might have collapsed from exhaustion. He made a vow right than and there not to put his dragon's life in danger again.

"I believe his motives were not intentional," the elderly woman suddenly said. "What Lenay says is true. While it goes against tradition, this Rider has found our island against all odds. He deserves a second chance."

He couldn't help but smile a little at that. And finally Lenay's grandfather sighed in defeat. He gave the faintest nods before whispering to his fellow elders. Hiccup glanced at Lenay and noticed that she was holding Kadir's hand, as if the decision her grandfather made was the most exciting thing in the world.

"Very well," he sighed once their little huddle broke up. "We have decided to let you stay." Hiccup breathed out a sigh of relief, but Lenay's grandfather wasn't finished there, "but you must partake in the dragon training exercises. Once you have mastered that, you are welcome to do as you please."

He nodded in agreement to those terms. They weren't the most tedious tasks anyone had asked him to complete. Compared to what Stoick or Gobber would have told him to do, this was nothing. Little did he know that this would be the start of an even bigger adventure.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: So... the next chapter will be a year skip, and after that I'll be switching over to Astrid's point of view. I'm not entirely sure how often that will happen, but it's good to see what's going on with Berk :)<strong>

**flame - Yeah, in a way. I haven't decided on official pairings just yet, but I do know that Hiccup will be paired with Astrid... eventually :P**

**dragologistmaster - Thanks! And unfortunately her story isn't a happy one. I love adding drama into the story XD**

**69759 - Well, I'm glad you find them interesting! And yeah, I used to know that feeling... Now I have a Macbook, I don't use Microsoft word. I prefer using OpenOffice :)**

**Angryhenry - You never know, she might have been...**


	6. Zinnea

**Chapter Six**

A year had passed since Hiccup was enrolled in the dragon training. Lenay and the other teens had flown over to a secluded part of the island where Riders were taught everything. From basic flying tips to more advanced lessons, such as flying bareback. Zinnea was the only one of the group who had mastered flying bareback. On top of flying they were taught to bond with other dragons and earn their trust through various exercises.

Hiccup was sitting on the ledge of a rocky cliff when Lenay approached him. He'd been working on learning their language. That task alone was probably the most difficult. Hiccup didn't realize how difficult learning a new language actually was. Between learning nouns, pronunciations and verbs, his mind was left with a throbbing headache. But it helped that Lenay taught him. She had the most patience out of everyone, and had taught him what he could for now.

There were times when Hiccup often thought of what had happened to Berk. At some point he was even tempted to go back and see how everyone was doing. But then he remembered the vow he had made during dragon training.

"_No one gets left behind. Dragons are our family, and we always protect our family_." It was the first lesson that everyone had been taught. And Hiccup had pretty much memorized it in both languages. Lenay was impressed with how much he had learned in such a short amount of time, and even suggested that he move towards the advanced classes.

On top of dragon training, Hiccup's entire wardrobe had changed. Thanks to Alec he was able to find clothing more suitable for the island heat. His tunic was lighter in weight and a dull brown, while his pants were a khaki colored white.

"Are ya okay?" Lenay asked when she sat down beside him. Braunch landed beside them and crooned as Lenay rubbed his chin happily. Hiccup had noticed how close their bond was, and suddenly a question formed in the back of his mind.

"Why are you taking these classes? It looks like you're already bonded with your dragon," he asked. Lenay just laughed and shrugged. That was one of the many things Hiccup liked about her. She was always laughing or had some sense of humor.

"I was asked to keep an eye on Zinnea, actually," she admitted. "My sister…. I don't know what to do with her," she sighed after tossing a small pebble down the slope. "I know that she has issues with other people. But…. It's like she's gotten worse over the last few years."

"Why is she like that?" Hiccup couldn't help but ask that question. He had noticed how distant Zinnea was towards the other riders and their dragons. Shadow had gotten close to Toothless, to the point where they might be more than just friends. And Zinnea seemed perfectly okay with that.

"Sometimes I think she's more dragon than human," Lenay replied with a grin. "She certainly has the attitude of a dragon."

Hiccup frowned when she said that. Suddenly he began to wonder if there was more to it than Lenay or the others let on. Zinnea had rarely spoken to the other riders. But then they had also turned her down during training. In fact they had often treated her coldly, as if she wasn't part of their group. To him, Zinnea's life sounded oddly familiar.

"I still can't believe she can ride bareback," Hiccup sighed as he watched a certain Night Fury zoom past them.

"Zinnea's quite the unusual one," Lenay agreed with him. "But then again she's always been different, especially after our parents died."

Both teens looked down at that. Lenay and Zinnea had lost their mother and father during a fight against invaders. According to Lenay there had been intruders on the island that were causing all sorts of problems, between hunting the animals native to the island, to cutting down the jungle that protected them. A war was waged against the invaders. Though the city had won back the jungle, it had it's fair share of casualties. Lenay's parents being two of them.

"I hate to ask, but, what exactly_ is_ her issue with people?" Curiosity had suddenly gotten the better of him. Lenay bit the bottom of her lips and gazed out into the ocean.

"Well, I'm no genius like ya, Hiccup," she began with a laugh that made Hiccup blush, "but, I've noticed that she was bullied when she was younger. I'd have to break up fights between her and some of the younger kids. They were usually the ones who provoked them."

Hiccup found himself understanding Zinnea's situation more and more. She was angry towards other people for what they had done to her. And she was angry with her sister for not standing up for her. In a way she reminded Hiccup of someone he had almost forgotten, back on Berk.

_Astrid, I wonder what she'd been up to_? he suddenly wondered. It had been such a long time since he thought of anyone on Berk. He could still picture each and every Viking that lived on the tiny island. Their images remained fresh on his mind.

"Do you think she would kill me if I tried talking to her?" Hiccup suddenly asked out loud. He didn't know where the idea had come from. But he had a feeling that Zinnea's life would be a lot easier if she had a friend. Or at least someone to talk to. True she had Shadow her Night Fury, but sometimes it was good to have a human friend as well.

Lenay gave him a look of surprise before glancing at her sister, who was now flying low towards the ocean. Hiccup nearly jumped when he felt Toothless nudge his arm. Toothless warbled in concern when he noticed the sudden tension between them.

"I'm not sure that's such a good idea, Hiccup," she warned him. "The only reason my sister didn't attack ya the day we met was because she was ordered not to. No one's givin' her orders now."

Well, that didn't sound very far from what Astrid would have done to him. Knowing Zinnea she would attack first and ask questions later. But it was worth a try.

"I'd say it's worth the risk," he reassured her and stood up. "Come on bud."

Toothless crooned at him in concern as he climbed into his saddle. Hiccup took a deep breath as Lenay looked at him worriedly. It was now or never.

With one jump Toothless was already in the air and catching up fast with Zinnea and Shadow. Hiccup could see them clearly in the distance. It looked like Shadow was diving into the ocean with twisting leaps. The sight made Hiccup's jaw almost drop.

_How does she do that without falling off_?

Shadow suddenly stopped in her tracks, hovering in front of Toothless with her eyes narrowed. Hiccup tried to keep himself steady under Zinnea's cold look.

"Look, I don't want any trouble," Hiccup began in a shaky voice. His words sounded strange, but Zinnea seemed to understand them loud and clear. "I just want to talk."

"Then talk." Hiccup's eyes widened in disbelief when Zinnea spoke for the first time. In his language.

"You… could understand me this whole time?" he asked.

"I'm not as daft as my sister believes," Zinnea retorted. Surprisingly her accent wasn't as heavy as Lenay's. "I learned when she was learning. Your language isn't impossible," she added with a shrug.

"Then why ignore me all that time?" Hiccup was still dumbfounded that she suddenly chose now of all times to start talking.

"Simple," she replied without hesitation. "You are an outsider. I don't trust outsiders."

Hiccup ran a hand through his hair while Zinnea flew off without another word. He rolled his eyes at the sight and had Toothless give chase. It was difficult to keep up with the twisting turns that Shadow was making. How Zinnea was able to do this without crashing was beyond Hiccup. Even Toothless couldn't make such sharp turns.

Finally Shadow had landed on a sea stack not far from the island. The Night Fury turned so that she was facing Toothless as he landed in front of her. Zinnea folded her arms and glared down at Hiccup as he got out of Toothless' saddle.

"I just want to talk," Hiccup repeated, trying to reassure her.

The last thing he needed right now was a fight. Especially with someone as fierce as Zinnea. Not only could she wield a blade with ease, but she was also a skilled archer. She could easily hold her own in a fight if that was what it came down to.

But to his surprise, Zinnea only smirked a little.

"You're a bit of a stubborn Viking, aren't you?" she suddenly asked.

"Uh, yeah…." He wasn't sure what to say to that.

It was true that he had his stubborn side. Many times during training, Lenay and the others had pointed it out. Zinnea only laughed at his reaction, and for the first time he could actually see a different side of her.

"You aren't like the others," she went on with a thoughtful sigh. "Even if you are an outsider."

"Yeah, Lenay told me what they did to you," Hiccup murmured sympathetically.

"If you mean her supposed 'friends', then I could care less about what they've done," she suddenly snapped.

Her voice had suddenly become angry again. Hiccup winced when he realized that he'd hit a nerve. But Zinnea didn't attack like he was expecting. Instead she hopped off of Shadow and stood at the sea stack's ledge.

"People see me differently," she whispered. "They're afraid of what I can do."

"And what exactly is that?" Hiccup had to press on. The more he talked to her the more questions arose. Zinnea was truly an enigma.

"Shadow wasn't born in the city," she explained while glancing at the two Night Furies. "I found her one day when I was seven. Mum and dad weren't overly fond that I wandered off on my own all the time. I could hear what everyone said about me. They all think I'm some kind of mistake." Zinnea paused while Hiccup nodded in understanding. He knew exactly how she felt about that. "When I found Shadow, I thought that… maybe they _wouldn't_ see me as a mistake. Maybe they could accept me as a proper Dragon Rider, and I could make mum and dad proud."

Hiccup couldn't help but feel sorry for her. He knew what it was like to be seen as just a hiccup, or the town screw up. Back on Berk everyone had called him that. They didn't think he could amount to much, even if he was the son of the Chief.

"I know what it's like," he admitted and stood next to her. Zinnea looked at him skeptically as he explained what had happened while on Berk. "It didn't help that I had to live up to my dad's expectations," he finished his ranting.

A few seconds of awkward silence had followed as they both looked out to the sea. Then again this entire conversation had been awkward. Until Zinnea had finally opened up to him. He'd never expected that to happen.

"Well, now we have two things in common," she finally broke the silence with the faintest of smiles. "I am sorry, for the way I treated you when we first met. I guess I was just… jealous, of the way the others treated you."

"You know, we could change that," Hiccup told her with a sheepish grin. "You're not as bad as they make you out to be."

Zinnea suddenly scowled and glared ahead of her. "I think I'd rather face a flock of dragons than them," she muttered under her breath.

"Come on, just give them a chance." Zinnea eyed him doubtfully before sighing in frustration. Hiccup had already seen what she was like under that hardened exterior. Now it was time for the others to see that she wasn't so bad. Maybe it was time to show them all that they were wrong about her.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: Early chapter update :) And you finally get to see what Zinnea's deal is... she's a lot smarter than she looks or acts :P Kind of like Hiccup.<strong>

**Angryhenry - Thank you!**

**dragologistmaster - Thank you, he hasn't changed much, but there will be another time skip the next chapter. Hopefully not to the point where it's overwhelming.**

**flame - No problem!**

**Reader103 - Yep.**

**69759 - Thank you, someone who gets the title! :P Actually it's based off of a song title by Capital Kings. It's an awesome song, and I highly recommend it :) And wow, I wish I had that kind of skill. Unfortunately I only know how to use technology, not how to fix it /:**

**Roxygirl - No problem! Yeah, I don't blame you. Sometimes it can be a bit overdone, especially when it comes to FF.**


	7. Ten Years Later on Berk

**Chapter Seven**

Astrid Hofferson was not a girl to be taken lightly. Five years ago she had killed her first dragon. It was a Deadly Nadder that had tried killing one of the villagers during a raid. After that incident, Astrid was regarded as the finest shield maiden on Berk. And she bore that name proudly.

Five years later and she had mastered her double-bladed axe. No boy dared mess with her, lest they be used for target practice. Astrid took her strength and intelligence with stride. She enjoyed the attention it gave her, sure, but there were times when she missed being alone.

It was hard to imagine what her life had been like prior to dragon training. Gobber was a gifted teacher and had taught all of his students well. But Astrid had learned everything she knew on her own. By watching the dragons and observing their natural habits, it was easy to make out their weaknesses. Every dragon had one. Every now and than the raids would consist of Timberjacks and a few other rare species that she had never dealt with. But for the most part she could easily fend for herself.

In the ten years that had gone by, life on Berk had dwindled to a mere few villagers brave enough to stay. Half of the village lay in ruins because no one had the heart or time to fix it. And because of that, many of the villagers had left. It was amazing to think that this place had once been bustling with life.

But seeing it now, there were only a few fields left with fewer animals to care for on the farm. Astrid had been the first to notice how much Berk had changed since _he_ left. She didn't even bother saying or thinking of his name. To her, he was just a traitor who had left Berk at the worst possible time. Yet she hadn't forgotten that letter he left for his father to read.

Astrid thought back to how she had found the letter. There was a set of dragon prints along with a boys. She had noticed it by chance when she stumbled upon a helmet. And when she read the letter she had felt anger towards him for abandoning everyone. That anger had fueled the ambition she needed to complete her dragon training.

_Yet you kept the letter from Stoick_, she reminded herself. What would the Chief say if he knew her secret? It was likely that he would exile her, or worse. She couldn't help but shudder at the idea. Stoick was different now. He wouldn't take such a betrayal so lightly. She sighed and looked down at the letter in her hands.

Everyone on Berk had changed since his disappearance. Stoick had become angry and spiteful towards those around him. The only one to not face his wrath so far was Gobber. Fishlegs and the other teens had pretty much stayed the same, but even Gobber had changed. He wasn't as cheerful or helpful as he used to be. In fact, he hadn't been working in the forge as much as he used to.

She quickly grabbed her double-bladed axe and ran out of the house. Since she had it to herself, it was easy to hide things like that letter. Her parents would have given it to Stoick in a heartbeat had they found it. Luckily though she knew better. She hid it somewhere that not even Stoick would think to look.

"Any signs of a raid?" Mulch asked as he approached Gobber. Most of the time the men were watching out for signs of dragon raids. The events had been occurring more often than ever. Astrid always had a weapon in hand for such cases.

"None yet, but one can never be too careful," Gobber replied after glancing down at the other Viking. "Astrid, what brings you here?"

"Nothing, I was just…." Astrid paused as she tried to think of what else to say. "Making sure that everything is fine," she finished after Gobber raised an eyebrow expectantly.

"So far so good, lass," Mulch told her. "Hopefully we can sleep peacefully tonight. Bucket's been complainin' about not getting enough sleep again."

Astrid rolled her eyes at the mention of Bucket. Maybe if he didn't sleep with that bucket on, he would get some proper sleep. But then again she didn't know the two men very well. She did know that Mulch was the caretaker of the animals.

Suddenly the sound of a Thunderdrum horn echoed throughout the village. Everyone was on their feet in an instant when the alarm sounded off.

"Spoke too soon," Mulch muttered crossly.

Sure enough a flock of dragons were headed their way. Astrid grabbed her axe and readied herself for a fight. Deadly Nadders and Gronckles were the first to arrive. Usually Monstrous Nightmares arrived last when they were needed the most.

"Astrid, keep them from reaching the farm!" Gobber ordered as he threw a sword at the nearest Gronckle.

She gave a nod before punching a fist into the cheek of a Deadly Nadder. It swung it's tail at her, throwing poisonous spikes that she easily dodged. Silently she thanked Gobber for training her with the Nadder they kept in the arena. This one was no different, though it was missing a right eye. Clearly it had seen better days.

It wasn't long before everyone came out to defend the village. Astrid managed to hold her own against a pair of Gronckles that were steadily approaching the farm.

"What've we got?" Stoick demanded when he charged after a Monstrous Nightmare. It engulfed itself in flames, ready to attack when Stoick swung a hammer at it's snout. The Nightmare let out a whimpering cry before flying away.

"Gronckles, Deadly Nadders, and Monstrous Nightmares," Gobber reported.

"Nothing we can't handle," Snotlout added in a proud voice.

Astrid rolled her eyes at the sight. But she stopped the moment she spotted a Zippleback headed for the farm. The animals were panicking at the sight as they tried fleeing. One of the Nadders had grabbed a net and threw it over a herd of sheep.

With one mighty yell, she swung her double-bladed axe at the Zippleback. The force of her throw sent one of the head's flying in one direction, while the other lifted it's head and sprayed gas at the sheep. Astrid held back a groan of frustration when her vision was temporarily blocked by the green gas.

By the time it cleared it was too late. The Nadder was flying off with the sheep baying frantically, and the rest of the dragons following.

"Seriously?" she shouted angrily. The village couldn't afford to lose anything else. Stoick folded his arms and glared at her.

"Ah come on, it wasn't that bad," Snotlout reassured her as the rest of her friends gathered around them.

"'Wasn't that bad?'" She quoted with a roll of her eyes. "I should have known to attack the Nadder first."

"We all learn from our mistake, Astrid," Stoick said before glancing over his shoulder. Fortunately the damage wasn't too bad. A few roofs had caught on fire, but they were quickly put out. Things could have taken a turn for the worst had the raid lasted longer. "Go and help the others with the repairs," he ordered the others.

"Wait, you mean we have to actually_ fix_ something?" Tuffnut asked in annoyance.

"Yeah, I thought about it, but than…." Ruffnut broke off when Stoick glared at them. The twins immediately shuffled away with Snotlout to fix the damaged buildings.

"Astrid, maybe you shouldn't be so hard on yourself," Fishlegs said as he helped her pick up pieces of broken wood and debris.

"I have to be," she muttered crossly. "We're the future of Berk. Doesn't it bother you that we have nothing to live for?"

She threw a piece of wood into a wheel barrel while Fishlegs studied a roof shingle. It did bother her that everyone was abandoning the island. They had worked too hard to leave now. But Fishlegs didn't even seem phased by it.

"Well, I mean, maybe leaving wouldn't be such a bad thing," he stammered.

"I can't just leave this island," she snapped. "There's too many memories to leave behind."

Often times she wondered if life would be any different had_ he_ stayed. Sure he was different from the rest of them. But he certainly did seem to know what he was doing when it came to dragon killing. Maybe the village would have been better off had he stayed.

"Astrid's right," Gobber pointed out when he pulled out a second wheel barrel. The other one was almost overflowing with debris and pieces of wood. "Berk will always hold a special place in me heart."

"But what if the dragon raids keep getting worse?" Fishlegs began fretting as the two continued working together. Astrid rolled her eyes at the sight and tossed another piece of debris over her shoulder.

"We keep fighting back," she replied. "Dragons are just dragons. And nothing is going to change them."

_And nothing is going to change you_, a small voice told her.

Astrid nearly dropped the piece of wood in her hand, gasping in shock. But she _had_ changed. In more ways than she could possibly count. She was one of the fiercest warriors on Berk. She had already killed several dragons over the past ten years.

Yet that voice left her feeling shaken after she helped finish with the cleanup. True she had made all of those accomplishments in her young lifetime. But she was still a Viking through and through. And that part of her was never going to change.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: So we get to see what Astrid has been up to... as for the others, I really don't know what to say :P Next chapter might take a little longer to update due to my busy schedule and all. also, happy Martin Luther King Jr. Day!<strong>

**69759 - Hehe, I love plot-twisters :P And congrats, I know how hard it can be writing a new chapter. Especially with so many distractions out there.**

**flame - She is a lot like Hiccup. I may or may not have done that on purpose ;) And it will still be Hiccstrid, but I may throw in some OC love as well just for the drama :P **

**Reader103 - Well, I don't think that will be happening any time soon...**

**dragologistmaster - We shall see :P**


	8. Ten Years Later, in the City

**Chapter Eight**

"Alright guys, a simple roundabout survey of the island, nothing too serious!" Lenay told them as they flew high in the sky. Hiccup rolled his eyes when Zinnea flew on ahead on Shadow, the Night Fury easily gaining speed on her sister.

Their daily patrols usually ended up like this. Zinnea was always itching for a challenge, especially when it came to her sister. One would think that after five years of training with the dragons she would have learned better. Unfortunately that didn't seem to happen. If anything her competitive streak had only gotten worse, thanks to Alec, Kadir and Galia. All six of them had become good friends over the last five years. And they'd formed a tight-nit family in that time.

"Zinnea, watch out for that Nadder!" Alec shouted when a wild Deadly Nadder suddenly flew in their direction. Zinnea gave one look over her shoulder and smirked. Without warning Shadow swerved to the left, narrowly avoiding crashing into the Deadly Nadder.

"You're going to get yourself killed ya know," Galia called.

Galia and Alec were the only other riders in their group that flew Night Furies. Galia flew a Night Fury known as Nightshade, because of how jet-black her scales were. On top of it her eyes were a leafy green color. Whereas Alec flew a male Night Fury known as Dusk. Dusk's scales were a bit odd compared to other Night Furies, as they were a mix of colors, ranging from black to darker gray. Alec had said that Dusk was a rare color, and he took pride in that. And last but certainly not least was Kadir's dragon. He flew a Deadly Nadder, that had green-colored wings and purple markings over her body. Her name was Firain, which according to Kadir was Welch for beautiful.

"Hey Gal, yer fallin' behind," Lenay called over her shoulder.

Nightshade warbled in annoyance, and Galia gave her a gentle nudge with her feet to urge her forward. Once the two had caught up the group flew further on. During their patrols it was easy to get lost since the island was so large. But they flew in a unique V-shaped pattern to ensure that they could keep an eye on each other. Lenay or Zinnea were usually the ones in lead.

There was another reason behind their patrol. Dragons were a constant threat to the city. One type of dragon in particular had always caused them trouble. According to ancient folklore, the creature was called the Red Death. It had no real name. Because no one dared get close enough to name it. The dragon was just too dangerous to get any closer. To make matters worse they worked like a beehive, with a queen ruling all of the dragons that lived in it's nest. Fortunately their dragons weren't under the Red Death's rule. Because they didn't live in the nest, the dragons had been able to avoid falling under their control.

It wasn't long before they reached the far side of the island. Here the fog suddenly became dense, and ash soon filled the sky. The island itself had been formed by a dormant volcano. Hiccup flinched at the ear-splitting shriek that followed upon their arrival.

"Careful, they know we're here," Kadir warned the others as he swerved to the left. Luckily for all of them, the volcano was far enough away from the island that these dragons weren't too much of a threat. But it still gave them enough reason to patrol the island and make sure they didn't leave their territory.

Suddenly, a massive red-colored head whipped out of the fog, nearly slamming into Zinnea and Shadow. Her Night Fury roared in defiance and fired a plasma blast, narrowly avoiding those snapping jaws. Hiccup's eyes widened in alarm when he realized that the dragon wasn't alone.

"Hiccup!" He barely had enough time to register what was happening when Toothless twirled in mid-flight and dodged the Red Death's jaw. Toothless fired several plasma blasts, causing the dragon to retreat in a matter of seconds. The second Red Death had already started fleeing when all riders banned together to defend themselves.

"We need to leave, now," Lenay ordered once they were back in line.

Hiccup let out a sigh of relief once the island was out of sight. Even after all this time training, it was still hard to face those creatures. The Red Death certainly lived up to it's reputation. No human could ever tame it. Hiccup had learned that the hard way when he lost his leg.

That in itself was another change that had occurred over the course of ten years. It had taken several months for Hiccup to adjust to his prosthetic leg. But thanks to Alec and Lenay, he'd managed to overcome his ordeal. Yet there were still times when he could feel the pain, even when there was no leg there.

"You okay there?" Zinnea fell behind when she noticed how exasperated he looked. Even Toothless was warbling in concern, glancing up at his rider as they headed for the city.

"I'll be fine once we're away from the island," he replied without hesitation.

"Ah come on, a couple of Red Death's are nothing compared to me." Zinnea's grin was almost enough to make him laugh.

It was hard to believe that the two of them had become such good friends. After his first encounter with her, the two of them realized that they had a lot in common. Now Hiccup found it difficult to imagine his life without her. Zinnea was like a sister to him. And he wouldn't want it any other way.

"Hiccup, do you mind fixing my bow at when we get back?" Galia suddenly asked. "I almost forgot about it until now." As if to prove her point, she revealed a bow with it's strap broken in half.

"How is it that you keep breaking your bows?" asked Kadir in confusion and annoyance.

"I'd like to see you try and keep your bow without it breaking during practice!" she snapped. "It's not easy knowing how strong your pull has to be."

"You _are_ just a beginner," reminded Alec when he and Lenay flew closer.

It was common for a young adult to learn a new skill at the coming of age. For Hiccup his skill was working in the forge as a blacksmith. He had jumped at the opportunity when the master of the forge gave him an offer to work for a few days. And soon he had taken the master's place. Alec was skilled with double swords, and used them mostly in self defense. Zinnea, well, she was a master archer like her sister Lenay. As for Kadir… well, his skill was a bit complicated. He preferred life as an artist more than anything else, working with paint and sculpting when he had the chance.

"I'll see what I can do," Hiccup said when Galia tossed him her broken bow. It would probably take a day to repair at best. The string was probably the hardest part to fix. But it wasn't impossible.

"Thanks Hiccup, I owe you one!" Galia sighed in relief once they landed in the center of the city.

As usual it was bustling with activity. Dragons were a part of life here. Hiccup had gotten used to seeing them every day now. Compared to life on Berk, this city knew exactly how to thrive among dragons.

"It's amazing what you did for this city," Zinnea sighed as they dismounted their dragons. Shadow was the only one who truly followed Zinnea where ever she went. "We wouldn't have gotten this far without your help."

"Is that your idea of a thank you?" Hiccup smirked when she rolled her eyes and stuck her tongue out at him.

It was true that he had changed so much for the city. He had designed fire prevention stations for the younger dragons, and in case fights broke out among them. And he had designed his own flight suit so that he could fly with the dragons. But to top things off, he had even created a flaming sword that he named _Inferno_.

None of those inventions would have been possible had he stayed on Berk. He often wondered what his life would be like had he stayed. Or what life on Berk was like now. He couldn't help but feel some regret at abandoning everyone. But he couldn't possibly stay, not when Stoick wouldn't change his mind about the dragons.

"I still don't get how they could just ignore how intelligent ya are," Lenay suddenly chimed in. Zinnea only rolled her eyes once more at her sister. The two of them rarely got along, but at least they tolerated each other now.

"They were never the most observant bunch," he admitted with a shrug. "I'd better go and fix Galia's bow."

He tried shrugging off the sudden worry their words had left on him. Thinking of Berk only brought back painful memories. He didn't want to bring up the past. Not unless he absolutely had to.

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><p><strong>AN: So... I have no idea where I'll be going with this :P I honestly had an entire chapter typed up before this and than scrapped it. Then I wrote this. So, yeah... Anyways, I am absolutely amazed at how popular this is! You guys are awesome!<strong>

**Dark Ghost coc - My brain tends to get a little crazy, I'm just warning you :P**

**69759 - Haha, I know the feeling XD I pretty much do the same thing. But then I get caught up watching the Big Bang Theory and get distracted again ^^ And that sounds a bit too confusing for my liking...**

**flame - Thanks!**

**dragologistmaster - Yep, ten years pretty much passed in this chapter as well. And yeah, unfortunately it is a bit of a big time skip. But the next few chapters would have been really boring had I kept going on...**

**Roxygirl - I may just switch their POV every couple of chapters, or every other chapter. Just for the fun of it :P By the way, have you heard This is not Goodbye by the Sidewalk Prophets? Really pretty song, I highly recommend it :)**


	9. Stoick's Plan

**Chapter Nine**

_How am I supposed to get any work done with all that racket outside_? Astrid resisted the urge to groan as she finished organizing her supply of weapons.

A day had passed since the dragon raid. Stoick was holding another meeting at the Great Hall to discuss the problem with the raids. Astrid had chosen to miss out on the meeting, seeing as her place was now a mess. Somehow a dragon must have broken in, either that or one of the twins decided to break in and make her life miserable.

She was almost finished with her work when she noticed something sticking out of her desk. Glancing over her shoulder uneasily, Astrid reached out and realized all too soon what it was. Her face nearly fell at the sight of worn paper that felt brittle in her hands.

The letter that Hiccup had left for his father to read. What was it doing out in plain sight? Astrid mentally yelled at herself for being so ignorant. If anyone had seen the letter than they would know that she had been keeping it. The last thing she needed was for Stoick to call her a traitor. She was anything but that.

When she found herself ready to endure today's events, she left the house to find the village completely empty. That wasn't entirely surprising. If Stoick had called for a town meeting, everyone would likely be at the Great Hall.

Astrid had learned to avoid the Great Hall during town meetings. Stoick had a tendency to let his anger get the better of him. If he wasn't yelling at someone for bluntly pointing something out, he was just sitting there with a scowl on his face. Astrid suspected that he never got over his son's disappearance, or betrayal, or whatever it was now called.

She tried shaking off the uneasy thoughts and headed for the Great Hall. Sure enough the moment she arrived, it was bustling with activity. Angry voices could be made out as the villagers discussed what to do next. Almost at once she regretted joining them, but she spotted Fishlegs, Snotlout and the twins sitting together nearby, listening with little to no interest.

"You can't be serious about this, Stoick!" cried an elderly looking Viking. "We've already lost half of our livestock the other night. And you expect us to leave while the island is unguarded?"

"The island will not be left unguarded!" Stoick snapped, making Astrid flinch at the force of his words. "You five will be keeping an eye on things, along with Gobber and Gothi. I trust Astrid can keep you lot in line."

She grinned sheepishly when everyone looked at her accusingly. This wasn't the first time Stoick had left her in charge of things. Usually it was Snotlout who should be put in charge, since he was the son of Spitelout, brother to Stoick. That made him the new heir since Hiccup's disappearance.

"O-Of course, sir," she replied, trying to keep her voice from cracking.

Fortunately Stoick didn't seem to notice as he stood up. Gobber looked at the Chief uneasily.

"Stoick, are you sure this is a good idea?" Astrid leaned forward when she heard him ask that. Stoick's face turned from stern to angry once again, but Gobber rarely faced his true wrath. Usually it was the twins or Snotlout who got the worst of his anger. "I mean, considering what happened the last time and all," he quickly added.

"We were close to finding the nest, Gobber," Stoick replied. "We just turned too early."

Stubborn as always. Astrid resisted the urge to roll her eyes. She wondered if that was where Hiccup had gotten his stubborn streak. She could still remember how he had refused to back down when Gobber relentlessly turned him away during dragon training. Then when he was finally given a chance, he ran away like a coward.

The village would be oddly quiet with just the young adults keeping an eye on things. There were younger children around to train. Often times Gobber had asked Astrid to help keep the younger kids in line when they needed an extra hand at the arena.

"We'll be back as soon as we take down the nest."

Astrid folded her arms as the Vikings Stoick had named got ready. Once the Great Hall was cleared out, Astrid let out a sigh of frustration. She certainly hoped that they came back soon. Otherwise the village might be in danger from invaders.

...

It was late at night when Stoick and the rest of the ships headed out. Astrid watched from the background as they disappeared from sight. Gobber was left in charge of keeping an eye on things while she herself made sure that nothing too drastic happened. Of course there was no telling what the twins would get themselves into.

"No raids tonight," Gobber reassured her when he walked past. "Ya might as well get some rest."

Astrid nodded in agreement before slipping away towards her house. But she hid herself behind the house and waited until she was certain that Gobber had left. Ever since Hiccup had abandoned Berk, life had gotten even worse for them. She had to find a way to help Berk, and maybe even find the dragon's nest. That in itself would be amazing.

"If anything I could find out what information he has," she added under her breath. She hadn't been to Stoick's house since the last time she yelled at Hiccup for nearly cutting off her hair. That whole incident had just been an accident, but it was still enough to leave her fuming the rest of the year.

With that being said, she headed over to the house once Gobber was gone. This was her chance to find out exactly what had happened to make Hiccup leave. There had to be some explanation other than the letter she had found.

The moment she entered the house she almost regretted it. It was cold and dark. The faint scent of smoke filled the air. Astrid looked down at the fireplace to see that it hadn't been cleaned out in years. A layer of dust and grime coated the table as she drew her finger along it. She wasn't worried about Stoick finding out someone had been in here. She could just blame it on the twins if worse came to worse.

She took a deep breath and walked carefully up the creaky stairs. It had been so long since she was in here. But she remembered where Hiccup's room was. Or had been. Stoick's house consisted of two large rooms, one of them being his, and the other Hiccup's.

Astrid made her way to his room, and sighed as soon as she was inside. The door had been closed shut, and Astrid noticed that Stoick had left it untouched since Hiccup left. The place still looked like a mess. She couldn't help but smile at the sight.

"Typical of a guy to leave his room like this," she said to herself. Almost as if on instinct, she began reaching down to clean the place up. But she stopped herself just in time. If Stoick found out someone was in here, he would do more than just get angry.

The more she looked around the more she realized there was a lot of work to be done here. It was time to start snooping, and maybe find out more about why Hiccup had disappeared from Berk.

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><p><strong>AN: Sorry for the long wait, and shorter chapter D: I've been rather busy lately... and didn't have much of a chance to get on. But I did manage to post this. Hopefully it turned out okay ^^<strong>

**dragologistmaster - Thank you, I may consider that for future chapters :)**

**Dark Ghost coc - Am I? Then perhaps that's a good thing :P**

**flame - Me too! And that'll be explained in the next chapter :)**

**69759 - Trust me, you're not the only one. I hate time skips. But this story would've really dragged on had I kept going on. And I'm glad you're making an exception :)**

**Roxygirl - XD I know the feeling! I've heard so many that it's hard to keep track of them. We probably could ^^ Imagine Dragons' new album is coming out in February. I cannot wait! And lol, I couldn't resist making more than one Red Death; it certainly adds to the drama ;)**


	10. What Are Friends For?

**Chapter Ten**

Hiccup had worked all night at the forge fixing Galia's bow. On nights like these he usually spent most of his time in the forge anyways. But Galia had given him an idea that he wanted to test. A bow string could break easily if pulled too hard. But Hiccup had worked on a string that wouldn't break so easily, and would also provide better force when fired. He hoped that it worked, otherwise this would have all been for nothing.

Zinnea found him in the forge the following morning. Toothless was resting outside, with his chin against his paws until he spotted Shadow. The Night Fury warbled in excitement at the sight of Shadow. Zinnea had noticed how the Night Furies got along with one another. They seemed to form their own little group amongst the other dragons.

"You missed breakfast," Zinnea stated as she walked inside. She found Hiccup in the back of the forge, cleaning up the mess he'd made earlier the previous night. Zinnea raised an eyebrow when she noticed the bow that Hiccup had designed. "Is that what you've been working on?" she asked, glancing at the curious design.

"Yep, I just finished working on it," he explained in a proud voice. Zinnea tried not to smirk at the sight as he gently picked up the bow. It was angled at an odd way that made it lighter, but the string itself looked stronger than a regular piece of string. "Imagine how much easier it would be to use this in battle," Hiccup sighed as he placed it down next to Zinnea.

"That would certainly make life easier," she said with the slightest grins. Galia was going to love it. She could already imagine how impressed the girl would be when Hiccup presented the bow to her. But it also left her feeling slightly worried. "Are you sure you're okay? It seems as if you're just using this as a distraction," she suddenly added.

Hiccup looked down at the floor almost at once. Truth be told he had been hiding in the forge, more so to avoid speaking to anyone. He was afraid of having another nightmare. After all it had been ten years since he even thought of his past.

Luckily Zinnea seemed to understand his worry and backed away. Life in the city had changed him drastically. He was stronger now. And he actually had friends. That in itself had made a difference that Berk would never have provided. He doubted that anyone would have understood him, or Toothless for that matter.

He followed her out of the forge to see Toothless and Shadow laying side by side together. Hiccup couldn't resist smiling at the sight. Toothless lifted his chin and warbled in concern when he leaned down.

"Hey bud, what do you say we take this to Galia and see what she thinks of them?" he suggested after showing Toothless the new bow he'd worked on. Toothless warbled in agreement, perking up almost instantly at the thought of flying.

"I'll catch up with you later," Zinnea told him as she hopped onto Shadow's back. Shadow lifted her wings and took off a second later, leaving a trail of dust in their path.

Zinnea certainly was a unique character. The more Hiccup had gotten to know her, the more he realized they had in common. She was treated like an outcast in the city. And he knew full well what that was like. People looked at them strangely when they were together, as if it was unusual for Zinnea to have any friends. But he didn't mind.

He shook his head at the thought and climbed into Toothless' saddle. Within seconds Toothless was zooming past the main buildings and headed for the beach where the other riders usually hung out. It wasn't surprising to see them in large groups before they patrolled the island.

Sometimes they exchanged information on their dragons, or just loved to sit and talk. Either way he wasn't surprised to see Galia there with her dragon Nightshade. The Night Fury looked up curiously as Toothless landed not too far away from the small group. Galia looked at Hiccup in surprise when he handed her the bow.

"Hiccup, this is amazing," she gasped as she tested out the string. Sure enough it was strong enough to pull back without breaking. Galia grinned as she fired an arrow at one of the target boards on the beach. "Perfect aim as always," she laughed as the arrow hit the bulls-eye.

"Well, I'm glad you like it," Hiccup started. "Because I was thinking maybe everyone could start using them." Galia only smirked in response.

"Wouldn't that put you out of business?" she asked. Hiccup shrugged and glanced at the others who were practicing their archery skills.

"I don't think that'll be a problem," he replied with a grin.

Galia gave him a hug before returning to her group. With that task being said and done, Hiccup hopped into Toothless' saddle and flew to the cave. It was the one place where he could relax without anyone disturbing him. He'd found the cave drawings the most interesting part of the city. Lenay had told him that the drawings told everyone about the city's past, and how they had befriended the dragons that now lived with it's residents. Hiccup found those drawings the most fascinating pieces he'd ever seen.

Toothless shifted uncomfortably as they flew into the cave. Since Hiccup had first arrived it hadn't changed much. He'd learned that the ground was always shifting, and every now and than he would find broken pieces of rock on the ground. Toothless wasn't entirely fond of being underground. But he stayed by Hiccup's side despite that fear of the cave collapsing.

"Somehow I'm not surprised to see you here." Hiccup flinched when he heard Zinnea's voice echo off the cave walls. He turned to see her leaning against a stone pillar, arms folded with Shadow standing behind her. "I knew something was bothering you," she added as she approached him.

"W-What?" Hiccup stammered, still surprised to see the pair standing there. Though he really shouldn't have been surprised. He'd learned that Zinnea spent a lot of time patrolling the island, or exploring the jungle outside the city. "I have no idea what you're talking about."

"Oh please," Zinnea rolled her eyes and stared at him accusingly. "You don't normally come here unless something is on your mind."

Again Hiccup flinched, realizing that Zinnea knew him too well.

"Maybe I have, does it really matter?" He turned around to stare at the drawings for a moment before realizing that she wouldn't let this go, at least not easily.

"If you don't tell me now I'll just keep asking you." She smirked at the look Hiccup gave her.

"Alright, fine." He held back a sigh and sat down next to Toothless, who was watching both riders curiously. "I've been thinking of Berk… a lot, lately."

"Ah, so that's what has you down."

Zinnea nodded in understanding. Out of all the people in the city, she was the only one who knew how hard it was for him to adjust to a new life. Leaving behind everyone he knew on Berk had been surprisingly easy. Forgetting about them though, now that was an entirely different story.

"Would it be weird to say that I'm glad I left?" he suddenly asked.

"What? Of course not." Zinnea glanced at him in surprise. "Believe me, if I had had the chance I would've left the city one way or the other." This time it was Hiccup's turn to look at her in surprise. He had always that she was treated like an outcast. Pretty much in the same sense he was when he lived on Berk. But to actually want to leave must have meant that she went through more than she was letting on. "Hiccup, if you hadn't shown up that day I probably would have left," she admitted. "Honestly there really is no place here for me…. I'm too different."

"I know exactly how you feel," Hiccup reassured her with a sheepish look. If there was one thing he knew, it was that he had always been looked upon differently on Berk. "Thanks, for talking… it actually does help." Zinnea simply grinned in response; a rare sight for anyone in the city to see.

"What are friends for?"

Hiccup only grinned back, suddenly reminding himself as to why they were such good friends. The two of them had so much in common. Both of them were outcasts. They both rode Night Furies, though Zinnea was probably the better rider. He almost wished that the city could see just how brilliant Zinnea really was. Maybe than she wouldn't be treated like an outcast.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: Kind of a random ending, but at least I finally updated :) Also, for some reason I was listening to Come Sail Away by the Styx... best oldies song ever if you ask me ;) But enough rambling... onto review replies!<strong>

**Dante Stormcloud - I probably wouldn't do that. It would just make the story more confusing and harder to explain ^^ But thanks for the suggestion!**

**69759 -Prepare for Bass - XD Oh don't worry, I know the feeling ;) The snow has been making things very boring. Though I tend to watch movies more often when it's snowing out... I'm not sure why. And that is a long gaming ID Oo**

**Roxygirl - XD I don't normally update two stories in the same fandom on the same day ^^ But thanks, now I feel humbled XD And that's great! I look forward to hearing about your idea :)**

**The dragon1010 - She may or may not find out about Toothless ;) I'm not making any promises.**


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